Nashville Takeover, Moncton

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We're in Moncton NB for the Nashville Takeover (Friday Sept 18 through to Sunday Sept 20).

We were at the Nashville Takeover in Stratford in the spring (see our blog of April 13) and, while we enjoyed it (with some reservations), we have signed up to go to the Moncton event with our niece Paula who lives nearby. We had purchased "Founder" tickets for the Stratford event, which got us into some VIP shows/rooms, but we didn't really take advantage of that. So, we purchased ordinary three weekend passes for the Moncton event.

The event schedule has opening night shows on Friday evening, Saturday is quite busy from noon into the evening, and Sunday is the closer with a couple of stages at the Magnetic Hill Winery in the afternoon. This is very much like what happened in Stratford. Some folks just bought a single day pass for Saturday when most events happened. We were there for the long haul.

The event in Stratford was located in the downtown with all venues within walking distance of one another — actually just a few blocks from one another. The Moncton event is scattered around the city at several locations: the O'Creek Brewery, the Holy Whale Brewery (Riverview/Moncton), Pump House Brewpub/Brewery, Bright & Brine Fine Art Gallery, and the Magnetic Hill Winery. You need a car to get to these locations, they are quite far apart. The Pumphouse and the Gallery are in the downtown, the rest are some distance away.

When we were booking our VRBO we were told that the venues would be downtown; that's not quite true. It's not a big city but there are distances to travel.

For the Stratford event you were encouraged to go from one show to another; to mix it up a bit. In Moncton, we were encouraged to reserve places for the various time slots. E.g., we never did get to the Gallery as it was fully booked with reservations by attendees. However, we did discover that you could easily go to places where you had not reserved — there wasn't an attendance sheet listing who should be allowed in. E.g. on Saturday we caught the first show at the Holy Whale and then moved to the O'Creek for the second show that afternoon. Why? Well this was another problem/gripe I have. Rather than have the artists move between venues on the Saturday they would stay put at one place and play sequential sets. Given that you were supposed to stay put with them this meant you wouldn't get to see other artists unless you moved to another venue. If the expectation was you were to remain where you are then the artists should rotate between venues. Moving between venues meant travel time, giving up your seat and finding a new one in a crowded venue.

Of the venues we went to the Holy Whale had the best setup. It's a large open beer hall with a good sized stage, well lit, at the one end and a balcony around the other sides. The Magnetic Hill was a pretty good site as well with a large banquet tent outside (we stayed there and artists were changed for several sets) and an area inside by the bar. The O'Creek setup inside was just a poorly lit corner of the bar, outside was better but the weather made that too cool and the lighting was less than minimal. The Pumphouse had an inside area that would cater to a few folks while other attendees were hidden away in what was, essentially, another room. Again, the Pumphouse had an outside area but at night it was awfully cool. September evenings can be quite cool in this part of the world and sometimes it might rain. I didn't see any contingencies planned for poor weather.

Two gripes about all the venues we attended: a) they were all oversold and crowded, and b) too many in the audience came to chat loudly with their chums and not to listen to the music. The quiet listening experience of Nashville's "Blue Bird Cafe" was nowhere to be found. Mind you some of the performers were keen on the drunken bar room experiences of the Honky Tonks along Nashville's Broadway. I'm not and thankfully they did not recreate that.

We made some friends along the way. At the O'Creek, on Friday night, we joined a table near the performers with a couple who were on a "first date". They hadn't come for the show, they didn't even know there was a show, they'd come to have some drinks (3:00pm gives you time to run away if things don't work out) and they hit it off. When told they'd need tickets to stay for the show (I suppose around 5:00) they decided to pay and stay. We had a lot of laughs with them. We also met another nice couple from New Brunswick; we bumped into them several times over the weekend and got their stories. They're both on their second marriage, they met in Eastern Ontario and she comes from Oklahoma! They let us in the line for the Pump House on Saturday night and joined us at the Winery on Sunday.

And there's a story there. They had tried to get into the Pump House for the after show party on Friday night but it was full. I believe they had paid extra to go to that event and were a little pissed that they couldn't get in (oversold and crowded). On Saturday, we arrived early for the evening show to discover a very long line snaking around the building and down the street. Our friends were perhaps 10-20th in line and let us join them. When the doors opened VIP ticket holders were allowed in first. Then the rest of the queue. When we got inside the area in front of the stage was fully packed and the five of us were shunted off to an area of the restaurant with no view of the stage at all. I have no idea what the many behind us in the queue found or if any got in. I approached Scotty James, the organizer of these events, and let him know that this wasn't what was advertised, they had oversold the show, and had a lot of unhappy customers. He gave me some shit about "Well, there's standing room too". We left, our friends stayed and while the performance was piped into their area of the restaurant the large TV screen ran a hockey game! We abandoned our shitty seats and went next door for a lobster dinner at Catch-22. After dinner, we returned and saw a bit of the show outside in the roped off alley area. It was another cool evening, the gig was poorly lit, the performers were fine. I suspect the late night after show party here was again oversold.

On the performers. ... Each and every one is indeed a Nashville singer/song writer although several were Canadians. All of them are struggling artists performing original music. Some are starting out, some have singles/EPs/albums released, some have writing/publishing contracts. It must be hard to make a living at this, some have day jobs, many have played the bar circuit, toured and slept on the couch or floor of friends. If you were hoping to see some well known artists you're out of luck. These are up and coming performers. Of the 15 or so artists who were at this event, we didn't get to seem them all, there are a some who stood out for us:

• Lester Slaid is a Canadian, he has quite a bit of music on Bandcamp and iTunes, we saw him a couple of times at the O'Creek Brewery (Friday and Saturday). I especially like his song about "Painting Houses". He's quite accomplished and plays well with others.
• Mary Heather Hickman, we only caught a bit of her at O'Creek on Saturday and was impressed with "Ouachita River" (one of those murder ballads). I've been listening to more of her music and like "God Ain't Lookin'". She has a large catalogue on YouTube and iTunes to explore. She didn't look comfortable at the set when we saw her.
• Matthew Runaway is another Canadian, I liked him solo on guitar at Holy Whale, his stuff on YouTube is more rock/band music. He played with Julia Golden and Carson Mac (a guitar virtuoso).  I'm still exploring his music on iTunes. He did a song about being a working man/working life that I really liked. I think that was "It's Called Life" — a great solo/guitar song. But, overdone/overproduced as a rocker. He should do an acoustic album.
• Christina Alaire  (aka "Tall and Teal") is from Georgia. We saw her at the Winery on Sunday. I recognized her from the Stratford event and had approached her. I recall that, in Stratford, when she flubbed a chord Zach Aaron said, "You just call that a Jazz chord". She has small catalogue on YouTube but I don't see anything on iTunes.

All the musicians we saw were very good. Some, of course, are better than others. There was an event on Saturday where artists can set up a "merch table" and chat with attendees. But that's a little and late. They all should spend more time promoting their music, their name, Facebook page, web site (if they have one), history, etc. at their showcase events.  Business cards, or a QR code to snap, would be a ready way to get that information to the audience. By design, you wouldn't know who was playing at an event until you got there. That's the philosophy of the Nashville Takeover and I like it. However, often, when you're there at a show, the artists would swap songs without introducing one another. The lineup shown in the photo album was presented after the event was completed. I tried to keep notes on people we saw but wasn't terribly successful.

I'm a fan of a music genre they call "Americana"; these musicians, no surprise, are more Nashville Country. Even down to the Nashville twang (that's particularly irritating when it's a put on accent). I had hoped to hear some topical music protesting, or at least addressing, the current regime in Washington (cf. the Jesse Welles music). As they say, you'd think the world has had enough of silly little love songs. Or perhaps I'd like to hear another tune like "Nashville is rough on the living, but she surely thinks well of the dead" (e.g., Shel Silverstein via Bobby Bare). What I am looking for is tunes with a bit of a bite, something to move or inspire me, something that brings me to tears. Rock & roll or radio friendly country? Meh ...

Finally, there is a Nashville Takeover "Finale" scheduled for Niagara Falls near the end of the year. I know we'll not be going. My recommendation, should anyone be listening, is they should limit attendance and charge more.

Ps. at some events the performers had a tip-jar branded with the Nashville Takeover logo. We tipped musicians we really enjoyed but isn't the ticket price, and overselling, enough to pay the artists?

Quebec City

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Monday Sept 14 through Wed Sept 16. First night Cornwall. Tuesday to QC, full day in QC before heading off to Moncton on Thursday

We're driving to Moncton to visit our niece Paula and to take in the Nashville Takeover in Moncton. We did a similar trip back in September 2024 when we toured the Gaspe and stayed in/near Shediac. Our plan is to take our time and stay longer at some of the places along the way. We didn't stay long in Quebec City last time, this time we're staying a bit longer -- we have booked two nights at a boutique hotel in the old city. The AirBnB we stayed in last time has become too expensive, even for us.

It's about 1,700km from our home in St Marys to Moncton so, in theory, one could drive there in under 24hrs. We've broken the trip up — our first night (Monday) is in Cornwall, Ontario where we stay at a Super 8 (it's part of the Wyndham group). We arrive in the late afternoon and settle in. It's a comfortable enough spot, right at the 401 highway, but we're in a second floor room in a hotel without an elevator. At our age slugging luggage up and down stairs is no fun. It doesn't have a restaurant either, so we get some takeaway from the Fat Bastard Burrito Co. which is a bit of a drive away. On our last trip we stayed at the Ramada Inn. It's is just down the road and a bit more expensive (but only a bit); however, there are several restaurants within walking distance and we stay there on the return trip.

From Cornwall Quebec City is easy striking distance. We avoid the city of Montreal (the last time we went through the city), taking a toll bridge crossing to the south bank of the St Lawrence. It's all 4 lane TransCanada Highway and, while there is some construction and delay, we arrive in Quebec City around 1:00pm. We can't get into our hotel until later in the day. Our plan is to visit the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (Pavillon Pierre Lassonde) near the Plains of Abraham and have lunch there. We had been there last time and really enjoyed our visit — interesting art, interesting special exhibits and a nice cafe. We park nearby in a pay lot at the Saint-Dominique Church. Across the street there's a private gallery with a strange horse sculpture on the lawn. We arrive at the Musée to discover the cafe is closed and has been for some time. Damn!

Nevertheless, we get tickets to enter and to take in the special exhibits: "HyperRealism: This is not a Body" (February 26, 2026 until March 7, 2027) and "Hidden Treasure: A Century of Mystery" (September 4, 2026 to whenever). The hidden treasure exhibit is about Zita of Bourbon-Parma, the last Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, who fled Europe in WW II and found refuge in Sillery, Quebec City, with her children. It's an interesting story, the exhibit is mostly pictures and text, there is some jewelry to see, but we didn't bother to stand in line for that. The HyperRealism is frighteningly real. For example, there's this huge (like it fills an entire exhibition room) newborn child sculpted by the Australian Ron Mueck. We had seen this piece before in Melborne 2010/03 at the National Gallery of Victoria. In one of the rooms here, when people were standing admiring a piece, we were often confused as to which were the sculpted people and which were the real people (like us)! There were several artists exhibiting and a ton of interesting pieces. We took some time to explore the permanent collection; much of it familiar from the last visit.

In 1986, Kate had a late fall conference in Quebec City, we drove there and stayed at the Château Frontenac. Our friends Alison and Bruce (from Winnipeg) met us there. That was the food poisoning in Montreal trip. I need to dig through our old photo albums and find a record of that trip. I can't find it in this blog!

Back to this visit. Our Hôtel Château Bellevue is within the old walled city very near the citadel and a block from the Château Frontenac. In front is a green space, the Jardin des Gouverneurs (Governors' Garden), and in front of that is the Dufferin Terrace — a wide wooden walkway that overlooks the lower city. There's a US Consulate just down the street from us on the southeast corner of the park. We're at the southwest corner and have a nice room up one floor from the main floor. While there is an elevator, you have to get things up the stairs at the entrance to the building (turns out there is a side entrance to the elevator that avoids stairs). They had reserved us a room on the lower floor; Kate found that too close to the street level (windows were right on the sidewalk) so we switched for a room upstairs. Staff were kind a helpful We left our car with them, there's no parking at the hotel, and we relied on Uber to get around.

Later in the day (Tuesday), we explore a bit of the Dufferin Terrace and views from there. We end up at the (Italian) Parmesan Restaurant at the far side of the Chateau and only a couple of blocks from our hotel. The restaurant was busy, and we enjoyed the accordian player (shades of the Paris Metro) and our dinner. It's a short walk back to our room to end the day. But this is very near the limit for Kate's walking.

Wednesday. I have breakfast at our hotel, It's busy but they provide a nice light breakfast. I take coffee and milk back to our room for Kate and I then go out exploring the area. It's busy around the Chateau, it must be crazy busy in the summer. We have booked an 11:30 river tour on the Louis Jolliet (we booked through Tripadvisor) which we can see from the Dufferin Terrace. There's a Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec that will take you down to the old city below, I'd really like to take it, but walking over there and then to the boat is too far for Kate. We instead take an Uber to the dock. It's awkward getting there, we're glad to not have a car!

An aside: Nearby, there's another ferry that shuttles people and cars to/from the far shore. The last bridge to cross the river is Pont de Quebec a few miles up river and nearly 40minutes away. When we head out to Moncton we take that route — up river and across the river. There's another bridge down river you'll see in the photo album. That goes to the large l'Île-d'Orléans in the middle of the river but as far as I can tell there is no bridge from there to the south shore.

The river cruise goes as far down river as the Montmorency Falls (see our visit Sept 26) and the bridge that crosses to the l'Île-d'Orléans. I had no idea the falls was that close to the city. Along the way we see the ferry to Levis, a cruise ship, the port of Quebec, casual sailing and some nice views of the city. The weather was nice and the tour was in both French and English. But all in all, we would not recommend it.

After the cruise we have lunch at Va Bene, another Italian restaurant, this one in the old city very near the Funicular. They have a sign advertising "Gnochi Poutine"; that's a funny mix of things (Poutine is a classic Quebec junk food of french fries, gravey and cheese curds). It's a lovely day and we enjoy our lunch and wine on the street side deck. This area, the old city, the lower city, is very busy. There are conducted tours going on, many people on the crowded streets, and a bit of feeling that you're in a Disneyland version of Old Quebec. It must be really crazy during the summer months.

We walk over to the Museum of Civilization (Musée de la civilisation) through some less crowded, but equally old, streets and buildings. As at the Beaux-Artes Musée we get a wheel chair to push Kate around. This museum is quite large and very interesting. Kate gets so interested in the first gallery and spends so much time there that we end up missing some of the galleries. This again is our fault for not allowing enough time. You could easily spend a day at this museum; we only gave it a couple of hours.

That evening we return to Chez Temporel on Couillard, where we had dinner back in 2024. We'd had a big lunch so we go for a drink and something to nosh on. We sit at a small table on the street. It's a restaurant in the old city but a good distance from the hub-bub around the Chateau towards the Port of Quebec. The street is quite narrow, minimal sidewalk, with folks who actually live there. It feels like Paris without the Disneyland effects. Next door is market (Epicerie De La Rue Couillard) where we buy some funny cat themed beers.

We are sitting at a bench on the street waiting for our Uber to pick us up when a down-and-out fellow approaches and asks if we have any change. I don't, nor does Kate, and we indicate as much. But he's persistent, sad and lonely looking. Very much down and out. Kate starts rooting around in her purse and pulls out a $5 bill which she gives him. He responds, "Could you make that a 10?". LoL!

Notes from Underground

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It's a rainy, wet Monday, the last day of August. Over the summer the Stratford Perth museum has staged a number of musical events (we saw the Lemon Bucket Orkestra in July) and tonight they have a local band, "Notes from Underground" advertised like this:

Notes From Underground

Monday, August 31 | 7 p.m.
Players’ Backstage at the Stratford Perth Museum
$15 + tax and fees | Children 12 & under FREE

Come enjoy some rock ’n’ roll under the big Stratford sky! Notes From Underground is back at the Stratford Perth Museum!

Featuring Stratford Festival artists Ben Carlson, Graham Hargrove, Bethany Jillard and Aaron Krohn, Notes From Underground brings an infectious mix of alternative rock, pop, intricate melodies and literary-inspired lyrics to the Players’ Backstage.

Join us on the grass behind the Museum for a late-summer night of live music under the big Stratford sky — all in support of the Stratford Perth Museum.

Rain or shine! If the weather looks threatening, we’ll move the show indoors to the Co-operators Performance Theatre.

We’ll have chairs and picnic tables, or bring your favourite comfy lawn chair. This is a licensed event, with snacks available.

Come for the music. Stay for the summer night. Support your Museum.

The band consists of Ben Carlson — bass, Graham Hargrove — drums, Bethany Jillard — vocals & choreo, and Aaron Krohn — vocals & guitar.

Our cousin Dianne joins us; we're all taken by the writeup — "that looks interesting, why not?" With the bad weather the event was moved indoors. Some comments on the band and their music:

• The four were having fun, performing their original works. It's nice to see people creating art
• They have released some music and are working on an album.
• The musical style is a big of "Gang of 4" meets "Talking Heads" -- artful but loud and clashing
• They are well rehearsed and know their stuff which must be difficult to play
• The lyrics were hard to make out, that might have worked better on the outdoor stage.
• The guitarist liked to leap about; a bit of a Pete Townsend.
• The first set closed with a guest singing a Who classic (Doctor, Doctor)

While there was a good turnout many of the audience were older folk like ourselves and not into punk/power pop. There were two sets, many of us cut out after the first set.

Lemon Bucket Orkestra

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Sunday evening we went to the Stratford-Perth Museum to catch a performance by the Lemon Bucket Orkestra outside on the Players' Backstage. The museum takes good advantage of this performance stage and has had all sorts of interesting acts. From theatre to live music. Lots of shows catch our attention.

The Lemon Bucket Orkestra is a wild anarchic "Slavic" themed multi-instrument group from Toronto with most songs in Ukrainian. They remind me a lot of Gogol Bordello. There are elements of Klezmer, gypsy-punk and much more. It's a large group, they have been playing together since 2011 and have issued at least six LP's and EP's (some of which you can find on YouTube or at their shop). The night before they were playing in Detroit. I assume most of the members have alternate day jobs.

It's a lively mish mash of music played at a frenetic break neck speed. It's a large group — 5 horns (including a tuba), drums, guitar, violin and many taking their turn singing. One of their players on trumpet lives in Stratford over the summer as he has a part to play in "Death of a Salesman". They play at a break neck pace, without a set list, and work hard to get the audience up and on their feet joining in clapping and dancing in unison with the music. In the photo above that's founding member Mark Marczyk on violin. For details on the members see their web site.

They did two sets with a short break in between to rest, chat with the audience and "hawk their merch". We were advised to stick around, the second set would even be done at a faster pace! We did, it was.

I recall seeing these guys a few years ago at an event in the St Marys Flats organized by Sean Camp. See River Rock (2018) in this blog. They were great fun then; and still great fun now.

See also

• Lemon Bucket Orkestra Official Website
• Lemon Bucket Orkestra on YouTube.
  
  

The Secret Chord

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"The Secret Chord" is a SoulPepper production staged at the smallish Mirvish CAA Theatre on Yonge Street (just south of Bloor) in Toronto in July and August (2026). Words and music of Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) are showcased. Kate and I are both big fans of Leonard Cohen (born with the gift of a golden voice) and have been forever. We could not miss this show even if it meant a drive to Toronto on a sunny Saturday for an afternoon performance.  We did not stay overnight.

This dramatic presentation has written words and music set to stage with accomplished musicians and singers. We loved the show, many times I am brought to tears ("I loved you in the morning..", "An eskimo showed me a movie ...", "I remember you well in a Chelsea Hotel ...").

We arrived early, were able to park nearby, and had a drink in the balcony bar (it's the CAA theatre with CAA discounts!) before the 2:00pm show. We had never been to this theatre. While not an intimate space it is a smaller theatre.

The show ran for 90 minutes without an intermission to a mostly full house. The music and stories introducing and linking them were great. Lighting was dramatic and effective; on the bare concrete wall at the back of the stage complimentary pictures and animations appeared. Our only criticism, a quibble perhaps, is that there was perhaps a little too much soul music. There's lots of folk, some Klezmer, piano bar jazz, some dance/waltz, and lots of musical styles as that's what he did.

Kate took some cell phone photos before the show started. I discretely took some with my camera during the show. Oddly, nobody seemed to mind before, after or during the show. Although the DSLR mirror slap is a bit irritating....

We enjoyed the show; with many fond memories rekindled. If you get a chance ... go! You'll not be disappointed. Here's a YouTube Playlist I've prepared of the original Cohen songs that were arranged and interpreted in this performance.

Ps. if the title of the show doesn't make sense to you look up the lyrics to "Hallelujah" ...

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

The "Coe" Connection

Letter re: Coe/Quinton connection

I recently received a note from what turns out to be a distant relative who lives nearby in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. Mary Ellen Walker writes me (June 6, 2026):

"Subject: Quinton family ties to the Coe Family of Ireland

I'm working on my family tree and I have a Margaret Quinton married to Michael Coe who came from Ireland during the Potato famine years .

I also have a letter from EW Quinton addressed to my grandfather dated September 1954. I'm hoping that you were related to him and possibly that you may help me establish more of a Quinton connection to my tree.

Any information would be appreciated. If we do have a connection, I will share more."

The letter from EW Quinton (my uncle Emerson, my dad's brother, who I have as my middle name) reads like this:

Bognor 2 ON
Sept 15/54

Mr Coe

Dear sir On talking to my uncle I mentioned that back in Ireland we were related to a Coe and he said yes he remember a boy & girl by name of Coe coming up from somewhere near Everett or Alliston to visit at Walters Falls

Our Quinton family came from Donegal County Carlow Ireland in 1844 & 1846 to Mono Road and then up to Grey County around 1847.

If you by chance trace back to this Everett family or to Ireland and county Carlow you are likely the same family.

I happen to know Mr & Mrs. Frank Gowan NE of Creemore their son Albert lives in this district

A reply would be appreciated whether or not you are the same family and perhaps you might have or know of information about that part of Ireland.

Yours Sincerely
EW Quinton

I don't know but I suppose I was found by a quick Google search on "Quinton" and "Margaret"; perhaps adding "Walters Falls". This blog is public and my musings would have led her to me.

I explained in short order the same day that the Margaret Quinton she mentioned is not my mom and gave a quick run down and what I understand to be our family history:

My great grandfather Tom/Thomas Quinton came from Ireland and settled in Walter's Falls, he married John Walters daughter (Elizabeth); they had a son Richard Quinton who married Alberta Carney; he had Maurice Watson Quinton; he and Margaret Ellen had me and 6 other sibs (1938-1958).  My uncle Emerson (EW) Quinton (my full name is Reginald Emerson Quinton) was a bit of a historian but died many years ago (I think it was 1969). These are all buried in St Phillips Anglican Church Walters Falls. There's a cluster of graves all together there. There's a memorial day service coming up at St Phillips in late June. My cousin Tom Quinton, who lives in Schreiber Ontario, has much of EW's papers.

I understand that little is known about my great grand father Thomas Quinton who came from Ireland some time after the founding of WF in 1852. They have a first born listed in 1859 so he would have been a very early settler. I would guess, if there's a connection, that's where it is. 

Hmmm ... with a quick search I find ...Wrt. Thomas Quinton

https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LKH1-DWF

There is a connection. Thomas Quinton was born to Samuel Quinton & Elizabeth Coe in born Donegal Ireland. See attached.

His son Richard Quinton was my grandfather. He died before I was born. See attached and likewise these details ...

https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LK9P-R5B

Some of my recent family history and photos are available in my blog.

Ms. Walker adds some details and logs; she's looking at history well beyond my knowledge... In a series of notes she writes:

... My grandfather was Robert James Coe, son of Richard Henry Coe, who was son of James , who was Michael and Margaret Quinton's son.

It's said that they married in 1816 in Ireland.They had 8 children. 

... We have a Coe Reunion coming up on June 28th in Maxwell...it would be awesome to maybe have a little more insight into the Quinton side of things to share... again thanks for taking the time to respond... appreciate it

... I found what I believe to be Samuel [Quinton] and Elizabeth's [Coe] children:

• Jane- May 7 1813
• Mary- Jan 22 1820
• Robert- August 15 1817- April 17 1903
• Thomas - Nov 24 1822- Nov 11 1911 

I also found a William died May 19 1802... could be father

And there we have it. My great great grandfather Thomas Quinton, who married Elizabeth Walter and came to Canada during the potato famine, and died in 1911, was the son of Samuel Quinton and Elizabeth Coe (of Ireland). Our cousin Tom, EW's surviving son, was in on this conversation thread and was pleased to discover that Samuel Quinton was married to Elizabeth Coe.  We didn't know that name.

Oddly FamilySearch, which I have relied on, lists Thomas as the only son of Samuel Quinton and Elizabeth Coe. I'm not sure where Ms. Walker got the other siblings.

I'm still not clear on the exact connection between Sam Quinton/Elizabeth Coe (my great great great grandmother) and Ms. Walker's great great great grandparents Michael Coe and Margaret Quinton who came to Canada during the potato famine.

Kate just said, maybe we should go to this Coe reunion in Maxwell (that's in the Grey County Highlands not too far from Walter's Falls).

-------

2026/10/20 Postscript. Today Google AI tells me:

The "Quinton connection" in Wexford, Ireland most commonly refers to Margaret Coe (née Quinton), an early 19th-century genealogical figure and ancestor connected to local parish and family records in County Wexford. [1]

• Margaret Coe (née Quinton): Born around 1801, she married Mychal Coe around 1816 in Wexford, Ireland, and raised a large family (including children Joseph, Margaret, William, James, Jane, Eliza, Richard, and Edward Coe). [1]
• Genealogical & Church Records: Family history and regional church registers across County Wexford (such as the Ferns diocese and local parish records) document Quinton and Coe family lineages residing in the southeast of Ireland during the 1800s. [1, 2]
• Alternative Local References: If you are looking at modern media or sports contexts featuring a person named Quentin (such as Irish Amateur Close Champion Quentin Carew making appearances or podcast features in Wexford), it relates to golf or local media content rather than a historic Quinton family clan. [1, 2]

If you are tracing a specific ancestor, parish, or family tree line in County Wexford, share a birth year or townland and I can help you look into local records.

 

London Punks

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Saturday, June 13, as part of the Forest City London Music Week 2026 there's a punk show outdoors at the Covent Gardens Market. There are some bands from the early 1980's who have reformed (some I suspect especially for this event) and others with players from back then who have started new bands. All of the players are folks at/near our age. Like us, they are reliving their misspent youth. Unlike us they've done their 10,000 hours, some on stage, and can play!

We saw a few friends from the day: Debbie, Dave & Rena, Peter & Angela.

We are especially interested in seeing the Wabi Sabis; they are composed of players from back then; some we know fairly well. They've been recording quite a bit and playing a lot in town; we've just not had the chance to see them. Peter Dekoker, who plays with 63 Monroe, Thames Rivieras, the Wabi Sabis (and god knows where else) greets us. Peter and Angela came to our 45th anniversary party last year. And Pete centered us out when we saw 63 Monroe last year on our 45th Anniversary; he played with them at our 25th Anniversary; and was a young punk in waiting when we were married and danced to NFG at the Cedar Lounge (August 2, 1980).

It's an evening event starting at 5pm. We arrive late-ish and miss several acts. We catch the Black Donnellys (a notorious 1980s band from Lucan), the Lucys (a new band of players from the day — Iain Staines from the Demics, Paul Scriven from Itsa Skitsa, Marcy Saddy from Certain Generals, and more), the Wabi Sabis (as mentioned — from the Crash 80's Peter Tangredi voice, Peter DeKoker and Dave Clark formally of October Crisis, 98DA and the Terminals are pictured above) and the Legend Killers who reformed and played a first gig at the Palasad a couple of weeks ago. Mike McGill of the Legend Killers acts as the host for the evening. We understand there's been some fuss regarding the host originally planned (our friend Scott).

The music that night was loud, often too loud. When the speakers start fibulating (bzzz .. bzzz ...) it's time to turn it down from 11. The Lucys were great and had a better sound mix; I especially liked their rendition of "Ohio" (by Neil Young of CSNY, re: Kent State shootings of 1970). I recognized the song right away from the opening jangling chords. There's a lot to protest in the US right now. Not a "punk" song but a great one and nice to hear again.

Wabi Sabis were fun to see and they obviously were enjoying themselves. Perhaps a little less F-bombs might make them more palatable to the surrounding apartments who got to hear it all. The Legend Killers were great as well. I had never seen them before.

You can find music released by the Wabi Sabis and Thames Rivieras on Bandcamp. There's lots on YouTube as well.

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Finally, I'm experimenting with film again and shot most of these pictures with my Nikon F2A and a flash gun. The B/W film I developed at home and did a terrible job — it has that grainy push processed feel. The color was done at a local lab; not as terrible a job but nothing to crow about either. Both have been heavily manipulated; I'm trying to pull out something salvageable. The Legend Killers were shot on my digital camera and worked well. Kate thinks I'm crazy to shoot film on these old cameras; I suspect she's right.